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Military Spouse Teachers

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Key Message

State teacher certification is generally designed to credential a teacher to work within a school district over extended periods of time. Policies that allow a teacher certified in another state to become credentialed in a new state require extensive documentation and may require additional testing and coursework. Military spouse teachers are expected to accomplish these credentialing requirements every two to three years due to military-directed moves.

Summary

Since military families tend to move frequently, states can support spouses who are K-12 teachers by removing burdensome certification requirements that prevent them from finding teaching positions in their new state.

Insights

The most common occupation for military spouses is teaching K-12. Because they tend to move often, teacher spouses must often seek certification in new jurisdictions, a process that can be time-consuming and burdensome. States can help by adopting flexible credentialing procedures for military spouses, allowing qualified teachers to become certified faster and more easily.

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